AAK honored with prestigious award for work in West Africa

AAK is proud to announce that its work in West Africa to promote the sustainable sourcing of shea, via the Kolo Nafaso direct sourcing program, has been recognized with a 2017 Sustainable Beauty Award. One of five categories, each reflecting a key aspect of sustainability, the Sustainability Pioneer Award honors an operator in the beauty industry that is a leader in some aspect of sustainability. The award was presented to Carsten Jaeger, Global Marketing Director, AAK Personal Care, at a reception hosted in Paris, France.

“AAK leads the way in developing sustainable, innovative and technologically advanced shea-based ingredients for the beauty industry, opening up new opportunities for both cosmetic formulators and the women in West Africa who rely on shea for an income,” says Jaeger. “We have a high level of loyalty among the women and villages that are engaged in our direct sourcing program, and the number of women is growing every year. The satisfaction of the engaged women comes from – among other things – the improved financial conditions that they enjoy from trading directly as well as the education, operational support and logistical support that they get from AAK”.

The AAK direct sourcing program operates in Burkina Faso and Ghana, providing over 115,000 local shea-collecting women with access to pre-financing, education and logistical support. The initiative delivers better working conditions and improved livelihoods for participating women, empowering them to make positive choices that contribute to the socio-economic development of the wider population, as well as enhancing the quality and securing future supplies of shea. A ‘win-win’ outcome all around.

“AAK is a deserved winner of the Sustainability Pioneer Award for its work on sustainable sourcing of shea”, says Amarjit Sahota, President of Ecovia Intelligence and organizer of the Sustainable Beauty Awards. “By working directly with the women in West Africa, the company is creating positive social impacts whilst developing sustainable ingredients.”

AAK achievements in the area of sustainability are many and varied, extending beyond the shea supply chain. All ingredients originate from renewable, natural sources and the company is pledged to reducing consumption of energy and water, and to reduce waste and emissions. Full details of objectives, projects and results can be found in the Annual Sustainability Report.

Organised by Ecovia Intelligence, the aim of the Sustainable Beauty Awards is to give recognition to operators who are pushing the boundaries of sustainability in the beauty industry. More information is available from www.sustainablebeautyawards.com

About AAK and AAK Personal Care

AAK is a leading provider of value-adding vegetable oils & fats. Our expertise in lipid technology within foods and special nutrition applications, our wide range of raw materials and our broad process capabilities enable us to develop innovative and value-adding solutions across many industries – Chocolate & Confectionery, Bakery, Dairy, Special Nutrition, Foodservice, Personal Care, and more. AAK’s proven expertise is based on more than 140 years of experience within oils & fats. Our unique co-development approach brings our customers’ skills and know-how together with our own capabilities and mindset for lasting results. Listed on the NASDAQ OMX Stockholm and with our headquarters in Malmö, Sweden, AAK has 20 different production facilities, sales offices in more than 25 countries and more than 3,000 employees. We are AAK –The Co-Development Company.

AAK Personal Care is part of AAK and specialises in developing and manufacturing high-performing, value-adding, functional and sustainable vegetable based bio-actives, emollients and other ingredients for the global cosmetics and personal care industry. The product range is complemented by outstanding technical expertise and service. For more information, please visit www.aakpersonalcare.com